HOMELAND SECURITY

HOMELAND STASI GOES AFTER COUPLE WHO PAY DOWN TOO MUCH ON THEIR CREDIT CARD

A READER - A man and wife who decided to pay down their credit card
debt. After writing a check for $6,522 on their Mastercard, Mr. & Mrs.
Walter Soenghe of Rhode Island found the payment frozen. Then,
according to the Providence Journal, "They were told, as they moved up
the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent
in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the
increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment,
Homeland Security has to be notified. And the money doesn't move until
the threat alert is lifted."

BOB KERR, PROVIDENCE JOURNAL - Walter called television stations, the
American Civil Liberties Union and me. And he went on the Internet to
see what he could learn. He learned about changes in something called
the Bank Privacy Act. "The more I'm on, the scarier it gets," he said.
"It's scary how easily someone in Homeland Security can get permission
to spy."

Eventually, his and his wife's money was freed up. The Soehnges were
apparently found not to be promoting global terrorism under the guise of
paying a credit-card bill. They never did learn how a large credit card
payment can pose a security threat.

But the experience has been a reminder that a small piece of privacy has
been surrendered. Walter Soehnge, who says he holds solid,
middle-of-the-road American beliefs, worries about rights being lost.
"If it can happen to me, it can happen to others," he said.

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=RAISEALARM-02-28-06


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OTHER GREAT MOMENTS AT THE HOMELAND SECURITY

AL KAMEN, WASHINGTON POST - President Bush's recess appointment in
January of Tracy A. Henke to be assistant secretary of the Office of
Grants and Training at the Department of Homeland Security irked Senate
Democrats. Henke had caused a ruckus last year when she demanded that a
Justice Department report on racial disparities in police treatment of
blacks in traffic cases be taken out of a news release. A respected
career employee was demoted after protesting the move.

But indications are that Henke's working hard and handling her new post
-- an important job to make sure scarce anti-terrorism money is spent
effectively across the country -- with appropriate priorities. Take this
e-mail she sent to staff members last week:

"Another item I mentioned during the All-Hands meeting was the need to
seek suggestions on how we can neatly encapsulate what we do at G&T to
help others understand (inside and out of the department)," Henke wrote.
She went on to say that when she was at the Justice Department her job
included handing out money, being a contact beacon for states and local
communities and helping victims of crime. "I used the 'Santa Claus,
Batman and Mother Teresa' analogy" to sum up the functions.

But here's the problem. "Mother Teresa won't work for G&T," she wrote.
"I requested that you think about and submit suggestions for another
analogy to fill in the blank 'Santa Claus, Batman and - - - .' This
analogy is not for publication, but to be used in conversation to assist
individuals in understanding the great work, activities and
possibilities of G&T. Several of you have sent suggestions. Thank you
for your interest and great ideas.

"To make certain that everyone has the opportunity to participate and to
be involved," she wrote, "I have asked Anne Voigt [an aide] to chair a
short-term committee to work on this for me. If you could please e-mail
your suggestions to Anne . . . she will assemble the options. I ask that
if you are interested in helping her, please e-mail her your name by COB
on Tuesday, March 7. She will put the names in a hat (bowl or anything
else we can find) and we will pick the other individuals to serve on the
short-term committee with her.

"This committee will narrow the options down to no more than three and
we will then have an all-hands vote to select the 'Santa Claus, Batman
and ?' The individual whose suggestion is selected will be invited to
lunch with me," she wrote, "my treat."

Feel safer already, don't you?